The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 86

CHAPTER EIGHTY-SIX LUCIAN’S POV

The drive back to the mansion felt longer than it should have.

I knew the reason it felt longer wasn’t traffic, neither was it the distance.

It was the afterimage of her.

The afterimage of Claire.

The way she had looked across that table-composed, steady.

The way she looked untouched by anything that used to bind her to me.

And the way she had said it.

“I am.”

Simple and final.

Those two words stayed with me longer than they should have- longer than I allowed anything to.

By the time I pulled into the driveway, I was already quite irritated.

If only Eva hadn’t insisted on hosting yet another dinner, I would have been able to host a meeting with my business associates in the mansion, instead of a restaurant. 1

And I wouldn’t have seen Claire. With him. Nathaniel Vale.

I hated the way he made her laugh, although I liked seeing her smile. She had looked beautiful tonight, in a short cream dress, with her dark hair falling down her shoulders, a sharp contrast to the color of her

skin.

The picture of Claire occupied my mind even as I stepped out of the car, straightened my jacket slightly, and started walking toward the house.

I was so lost in the web of my own thoughts that I almost didn’t notice the long line of cars outside.

I walked straight to the front doors, opened it and the noise hit- loud and immediate.

Deafening music blared through the space, layered with laughter, overlapping voices, and the clink of glasses.

The living room was filled-no, flooded-with people.

Not just guests. A crowd.

Faces I recognized. Faces I didn’t.

It wasn’t just the actors and producers whom Eva always invited.

Influencers, socialites, industry names. People who had no business being in my home without structure

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or invitation.

Someone approached me almost immediately.

“Lucian Dhark, it’s so good to-”

I walked past him.

Another voice-

“Mr. Dhark, we were just-”

Ignored.

A woman reached out slightly, smiling so brightly, it irritated me.

“Eva said-”

I didn’t stop. I didn’t acknowledge her.

I moved through them like they weren’t there, my gaze sharp, scanning through the space, searching for Eva or anyone who could make sense of all of this.

This wasn’t a dinner.

This was a spectacle- uncontrolled, wasteful and sloppy.

That irritated me more than anything.

This was the first time such a thing was happening in this mansion and when I find Eva, I would make

sure it would be the last.

My jaw tightened slightly as I turned toward the hallway leading to the kitchen.

The contrast hit immediately me immediately.

The noise dulled behind me, replaced by something else- tension.

I scanned the room quickly.

The staff were moving quickly, trying to keep up with something they hadn’t prepared for.

Trays, dishes and instructions layered over each other in hushed urgency.

It was obvious Eva hadn’t even told them there would be a party.

Camilla stood near the counter, directing two servers at once before her attention shifted to me.

“Mr. Dhark.” She greeted immediately, her voice was steady, but I noticed the strain in it.

“What is this?” I asked.

I restrained myself to ensure my voice wasn’t loud or aggressive. Just flat.

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Camilla exhaled once, obviously frustrated.

“It started as a dinner,” she said. “But more guests arrived. And then more. They began inviting others.”

“And no one stopped it.” I stated. It wasn’t phrased as a question.

Camilla paused briefly, as if considering if she should take the blame or not.

“Ms. Sterling didn’t refuse anyone.”

Of course she didn’t.

My gaze swept over the room again-the disorganization, the excess, the lack of control.

“This wasn’t planned,” I said.

“No,” Camilla replied quietly. “It wasn’t.”

Silence settled for a second.

Then Camilla broke it.

“If I may say something,” she said rather impulsively.

My attention returned to her.

She held my gaze- respectful but steady.

“I’ve always known you to be… observant,” she said carefully. “And an excellent judge of character.”

She paused for a moment. It was an intentional pause, meant to draw me in. To ensure she had my full

attention.

“I’m a little surprised,” she continued, “that you haven’t seen the truth yet.”

The words weren’t dramatic or even emotional. They were clean. Accurate.

My expression didn’t change. I wouldn’t let my discomfort show.

But internally? A storm was brewing.

I needed answers- and I needed them fast.

But first, I had to find the orchestrator of this madness taking place in my home- Eva.

I found Theo near the base of the staircase, speaking quietly into his phone.

Theo was a blonde young man, who had worked for me for a few months before I assigned him to Eva shortly after she moved into the house.

Eva had taken an immediate liking to him- which was strange, because Eva rarely ever likes anybody. I figured some people just… click.

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Theo stopped when he saw me. “Mr. Dhark.” He called, his blue eyes widening with surprise.

“Theo.” I simply said his name. My tone was even and controlled. “Where is she?”

Theo hesitated. It was brief, but noticeable. “Sir…I” he stuttered. “I believe… Ms. Sterling is-”

“Theo.” I called sharply, putting an end to his babbling.

I stepped closer- deliberate and threatening.

“I hired you,” I said. “Not her.”

He stood straighter then. “Yes, sir.”

“One more moment of hesitation,” I added, “and you won’t be working here at all.”

Silence followed. I watched fear creep into his expression before he opened his mouth to speak again.

“She’s upstairs,” he answered quickly. “In the bedroom.”

I held his gaze for a second longer, then turned and walked past him without another word.

The noise downstairs faded as I moved through the hallway.

The door to the bedroom was closed.

I opened it quietly without knocking.

Eva stood near the vanity, adjusting something in the mirror. She turned at the sound, a smile already forming on her made-up face.

“Lucian, you’re back-”

Her voice softened slightly as she immediately noticed my expression.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, voice as soft and feminine as ever.

I knew that voice all too well- she knew exactly what was wrong.

I closed the door behind me, then stepped into the room fully.

“What is happening downstairs?” I asked, keeping my tone precise and controlled. I wouldn’t let my temper get the best of me.

Eva’s smile didn’t falter. “It’s just a small gathering,” she said lightly. “You know how these things-”

“It’s not small.” I countered at once, still keeping my voice low.

A beat passed.

Eva’s gaze sharpened slightly, then she threw her hands down to her side in resignation.

“It evolved,” she said. “People came, and it would have been rude to turn them away.”

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“This isn’t a public venue.”

“It’s a house,” she replied. “Our house.”

The correction was subtle but intentional.

I chose to ignore it.

“You told me you were hosting a dinner,” I said. “Not an event.”

Eva sighed softly, as if I was the one being unreasonable. “You’re overreacting.” She said, her tone flat like she really believed this was no big deal.

“I’m not reacting,” I corrected. “I’m assessing.”

Eva frowned then, and I could see the annoyance forming in her expression.

Then she changed direction.

“It doesn’t matter,” she said, brushing it off with a small wave of her hand and a small smile. “What matters is that people are talking. They’re seeing us together again.”

I didn’t respond. I just watched her.

“And honestly,” she continued, turning back to the mirror briefly, “this is exactly why we should just move

forward.”

My gaze narrowed slightly, as I tried to decipher what exactly she was talking about.

“With what?”

She met my eyes in the reflection before answering.

“With us.” She said. “It’s time, Lucian.”

My expression didn’t change.

“Time for what?” I asked, genuinely confused but still incredibly furious.

“For you to do the right thing,” she said smoothly. “And marry me.”

I could have laughed.

Silence followed. Clean, cold silence.

“You’re delusional.” I spat.

The words landed without hesitation, wiping the smile clean off Eva’s face.

“Our child-” she started.

“Doesn’t change that.” I said, cutting her off before she could finish whatever ridiculous statement was

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forming in her head.

Her eyes flashed with pure rage.

“It changes everything!” She snapped. “Or do you want your child to be illegitimate?”

Slowly, I took a step closer to her. Close enough to see the deep shade of red her ears had turned, as they always did when she was angry.

And this time, she was boiling.

Good.

“You think this,” I said quietly, “ends in marriage?”

Eva jutted her chin out like it was a challenge. “It should.”

“It won’t.” I stated firmly. Irrevocably.

The certainty in my tone cut through whatever she was about to say next.

“You’re not serious,” she said, a hint of disbelief creeping into her voice.

“I’ve never been more serious.” I restated.

A moment passed. “I’m not marrying you.”

The silence that followed was different now-it was tighter and more dangerous.

Eva’s expression hardened.

“After everything?” she cried.

I didn’t answer immediately. Because the answer wasn’t simple.

But the truth was.

“I regret it.” I finally said the words that had been weighing me down, out loud.

Eva’s brows drew together. “Regret what?”

I held her gaze. “Allowing myself to be lured into a dirty affair with you.” I stated. “Getting you pregnant.”

I watched Eva’s eyes widen with shock and something that resembled hurt. “And divorcing my wife because of you.” I added.

Eva’s chest rose up and down in heavy breaths.

She was fuming. But I didn’t care.

“That was my mistake,” I finished. “The biggest one I’ve ever made.”

For a second- just a second- she looked like she hadn’t expected that.

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Then anger replaced it.

“Take that back!”